Quality of golf courses on the rise in Banten area

Quality of golf courses on the rise in Banten area

JAKARTA (JP): Banten is home to several quality golf courses,
each of which claims to offer the best service. What they offer
is a blend of difficulty, design strategy, beauty, character,
condition, ambience, scenery, design integrity, architectural
perfection and other facilities.

There is Padang Golf Modern, Imperial Klub Golf, Gading Raya
Padang Golf & Klub, Bumi Serpong Damai Course, Kedaton Golf,
Takara Indah Golf, Mega Cemara Golf Club and Padang Golf Permata
Krakatau. It all depends on individual preference, however, in
selecting which of these outstanding courses is the best.

There are several types of golf courses, including resort
courses, daily-fee or municipal and semiprivate courses. For
example, some semiprivate clubs restrict outside players to
certain days of the week (and often certain times during those
days).

Other courses boast they have the best scenery. In fact, each
golf course has some aesthetic reference that gives it a unique
appeal.

Some courses may also claim that they are secluded. For some
players who are also tourists, places far removed from
civilization but with outstanding layouts are worth the trip.

Most of the golf courses in Banten area are well designed.
Take a look at the Bumi Serpong Damai Golf Course. It is a
"stadium type" golf course. The fairways and greens are located
in the hills, so the course offers an enjoyable challenge.

The Gading Raya Golf Course & Club, has a strong hole to kick
off the outward nine. A generous fairway is provided here to get
play underway. The ideal line, however, is to the left side,
setting up a less obstructed approach. A rocky creek meandering
from the left of the green will have to be taken into
consideration when hitting out of the green-side trap.

The Padang Golf Modern claims to be the first to offer night
golf in Indonesia. Designed by Peter Thomson, it is situated on
81 hectares of land, including a six-hectare clubhouse.

Sales and marketing manager Ehlis said Padang Golf Modern,
which opened in June 1994, collaborated with several leading golf
courses in Asia to allow its members to play golf when abroad
without having to pay green fees. Owned and managed by PT
Modernland Realty, Padang Golf Modern has some 1,600 members,
including 1,200 golf players.

Imperial Klub Golf, located in Lippo Karawaci, is a public
golf course. It is situated in the center of the Lippo township,
a 500-hectare development project.

Created by Desmond Muirhead, the 6,429-meter, 18-hole
championship golf course blends essential Indonesian images into
a large conceptual sculpture. The distinct challenges make the
course enjoyable for all levels of golfers, with each hole having
its own identity, name and individuality.

Operation manager Herman La Rante said Imperial, which is
managed by the Hong Kong-based CCA, employed 350 people,
including caddies. He said the number of members at the club was
limited to 150 for the sake of convenience.

The Permata Krakatau Golf Course in Cilegon is part of state-
owned PT Krakatau Industrial Estate Cilegon. The course opened in
1973 and remains the only golf course in Cilegon.

General manager Suripno said Permata Krakatau's tee times were
about 80 percent to 90 percent booked during weekends and 30
percent booked on weekdays. He said the course was also equipped
with a driving range, lockers, a pro shop, restaurant and putting
green. (icn)